Pathway to careers in Indigenous law

George Brett spent six week in Kununurra with the MG Corporationas part of the Aurora Project Legal Internship Program.

9 March 2017

An opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the unique and complex areas of native title, land rights, policy development and social justice is open to Notre Dame Law students, thanks to a comprehensive internship program with the Aurora Project.

Offered during Summer Term (December-January) and Winter Term (July), the Aurora Project Legal Internship Program connects students with organisations that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

George Brett, one of four Fremantle Notre Dame students offered an internship during the 2016/17 Summer Term, spent six weeks in Kununurra working with the MG Corporation, an Indigenous organisation which receives and manages benefits for the Miriuwung-Gajerrong (MG) people, the traditional owners of vast pastoral lands more than 3000km north of Perth.

“The internship gave me unique insights into how empowering Indigenous people inevitably leads to building strong communities. It was inspiring to see the MG people pushing for the investment of Native Title money into economic and social programs aimed at overcoming Indigenous disadvantage,” said George, a final-year Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts (Politics & International Relations) student.

Law student, Louis Mitchell, spent a month with Perth-based Cross Country Native Title Services which provides assistance and legal advice to clients on native title related issues.

“Attending a mediation and direct interaction with clients and government departments, as well as compiling a list of precedents for presentation to a judge in relation to an interlocutory injunction, was a vital learning experience and fostered my passion for Native Title law,” Louis said.

According to Professor Doug Hodgson, Dean of the School of Law, Fremantle, Notre Dame students have had considerable success securing internship placements.

“Since the inception of the internship program in Summer 2003/4, a total of 36 of our students have been granted placements. This has enabled them to participate in research and policy development, gain valuable experience in the social justice area, a key pillar of the Law School’s mission,” Professor Hodgson said.

“We look forward to working with the Aurora Project into the future to facilitate the ongoing personal and professional development of our brightest and most committed students.”